Container closures



Aug. 30, 1955 J. R. I .TMARTIN 2,716,504

CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed April 27. 1951 Ti .1. F5- -2- M6 1 1 Tf f j 7% "Je: ein J5 INVENTOR. JEAN R. L. MARTIN ATTORNEY United States Patent O CGNTAHNER CLGSURES `lean R. L. Martin, New York, N. Y., assigner to Coty, Inc., Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application April 27, 1951, Serial No. 223,269

1 Claim. (Cl. 21S-40) This invention relates to a closure for containers and more particularly to a liner used with a cap for insuring an airtight seal for a container.

A specific use for a liner of the type disclosed herein is the sealing of a bottle mouth where a volatile substance is housed by the bottle. For example, the use of solidified perfume is attaining considerable popularity and such perfume is generally marketed in bottles and jars. However, if the cap does not offer a secure or airtight fit, the solidified perfume soon evaporates. Of course, the evaporation time would depend on the extent of the air access to the bottle contents.

With the foregoing in mind, l have devised a resilient plastic liner for a bottle or jar which takes particular effect as the bottle cap is secured onto the bottle neck. The liner is so formed that it is centrally acted upon by the underside of the bottle cap and spreads outwardly as the cap is tightened. Such spread causes a shoulder on the liner to press against the inner edge of the bottle neck and effecting secure and substantially airtight sealing. The invention comprises some modified embodiments and will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

Fig. l is an enlarged elevational, fragmentary, cross sectional View of a bottle provided with a cap and liner constructed according to the instant invention, the cap being shown tightly screwed down.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the cap loosened.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the liner per se.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l but illustrating the action of a modified embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. l but illustrating the action of a second modified embodiment.

The body of the bottle may be either of glass, plastic, or any other suitable type of bottle or container material. It is provided with the usual external threads l1 on the bottle neck 12. The lip 13 of the bottle neck is generally bevelled as shown although the invention may be as well applied to a lip which is straight. Cap 14 is provided with threads 15 which are complementary to threads 11 and is employed for capping the bottle 10.

ln order to render the capping action airtight, there is provided a cap liner 16 which is of thin resilient plastic material. For example, it has been determined that polyethylene is a satisfactory material for this purpose. lt can be fabricated so as to be resilient and is largely inert and non-absorbent so as not to be effected by the vapors generated by the solidified perfume.

In the form shown in Fig. l, the liner 16 is a separate disc, not secured to the cap 14. It is formed with a central arch 17 having a central protuberance or button 18 and a vertical wall 17a which defines the arch outer edge. An annular channel 19 having a planar, horizontal floor, surrounds the arch 17, the outer wall of channel 19 taking the form of an upwardly inclined shoulder 20. The lip 21 of the liner 16 is, of course, annular and it extends radially from the top of shoulder in a horizontal plane which is normally lower than either the button 18 or the uppermost portions of arch 17.

After the volatile solidified perfume is inserted in the bottle 10, the liner 16 is deposited over the top of the bottle neck and the cap is initially applied as illustrated in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the hollow arch 17 is then in its normally arched form and that the inclined shoulder 20 is slightly spaced from the inclined or bevelled lip wall 13. The cap is then screwed down tightly as illustrated in Fig. l. It will there be observed that the button 18 has been so acted upon by the underside of the cap wall as to depress the arch 17 into substantially concave form. This tends to spread or urge the annular channel 19 outwardly so that the shoulder 20 is also so urged. It will be recognized that kif the liner lip 21 is securely pressed between the bottle neck lip and the cap, any outward movement of lip 21 may be restrained but the action of inclined shoulder 20 is to seal the bottle neck nevertheless. The reason therefore is that the shoulder tends to straighten out in response to the outward urge occasioned by the depression of the arch 17, such straightening effecting the seal illustrated in Fig. l. The button 18 strengthens or tightens the seal because it is on a higher level but a similar effect can be achieved by heightening the arch 17. y

lt will be understood from the foregoing that the liner 16 need merely be deposited over the bottle neck and the cap applied to effectuate the seal. The action is automatic with the application of the cap and the seal achieved has been found extremely satisfactory for use with highly volatile substances such as solidified perfume.

In Fig. 4 is disclosed a modification wherein the liner 25 is secured to the thin walled cap 26 so that the liner need not be separately applied to or deposited on the bottle neck. Cap 26 is of a conventional type wherein a wall liner 27 is fitted and secured in the cap so as to furnish it with threads. Wall liner 27 has an inturned upper rim 28 and is often referred to as a thread insert. The liner 25 is rendered unitary with the bottle cap 26 and wall liner 27 by having its lip 29 pressed and thus secured between the rim 28 and the underside of cap 26.

Liner 25 is formed with an inclined shoulder 30 and a centrally flattened arch 31. It is applied to the bottle neck, the inner diameter of which is somewhat smaller than the normal diameter of shoulder 3f) at its upper half. ln other words, the tendency of liner 25 is to resist entry into the bottle neck, such resistance, of course, being very slight because of the resilient nature of the thin polyethylene material. If the cap is screwed in, however, the upper half of shoulder 3f) is forced against and restrained by lip 32 of the bottle neck and the spring action of dome 31 thereby takes effect, further enhancing the seal by urging the lower half of shoulder 30 against the lip 32. In other words, since the shoulder 3f) is restrained against outward movement, the arch 31 tends to spread and urges the lower portion of the shoulder 30 more firmly against lip 32.

In Fig. 5 the action of the liner 35 is substantially the same as that of liner 25. However, the liner 35 is integral with the cylindrical wall liner 36 which is formed with threads as shown. The embodiment of Fig. 5 is entirely fabricated of resilient plastic material such as polyethylene and is one piece so lthat it is merely inserted into the thin walled cap 37. Thus, in one operation, the cap 37 is furnished with threads and the outwardly eX- panding and sealing liner.

In any of the embodiments above described, the thin, resilient plastic liner has been found to effect a highly satisfactory seal against the evaporation of the bottle contents without requiring any special action by the user thereof.

What isclaimed is:

The combination with a bottle having a threaded neck, and a bevelled lip on the inner top edge thereof, of a cap and liner for sealing the neck of `the bottle, said liner being disposed along the underside of said cap and being of thin, resilient plastic material,` a central hollow arch formed on said liner and adapted to be urged into substantially planar shape by the underside of the cap when the cap is screwed on the bottle neck, an annular channel surrounding said arch, and an annular shoulder comprising the outer wall of said channel, said shoulder being inclined lupwardly from the floor of said channel and complementarily to the bevel of said lip, said shoulder normally loosely abutting said lip, said shoulder being urged further outwardly to pres snugly against said lip as said arch is urged into substantially planar shape by the screwing actionof said cap, and a planar lip on said liner surrounding said shoulder and being firmly held against the top edgev of the bottle as said cap is screwed on the bottle neck.

References Gated in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Haines Mar. 1, Cairns Dec. 30, Knowlton May 12, Schram Sept. 7, Miller July 16, Thaler Apr. l1, Magnus Jan. 22, Reamy Nov. 6, Hoag Mar. 26, Enkur May 2, Worrnull Feb. 8, T upper Nov. 8, Frascari Apr. 11, Hofman May 2, Krueger Jan. 15,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of Great Britain of Great Britain of 

